"Love the One You're With" by Emily Giffin. A Book Review.

"Love the One You're With" is definitely a sterotypical book that is full of fluff, humor, and love. A book you'd expect to read in the summer at the beach. I'm not saying that's a bad thing though! I thuroughly enjoyed this book. I was frustrated with Ellen, I loved Andy, and Margot became my favorite person in the book.

Though between all the fluff and girly stuff there is a bit of universal truth in the book. Enough truth to make me think that this book is not necessarily a favorite, but a book I would recommend it to many.

"Where the Heart Is" by Bille Letts. A Book Review.

It was almost a year ago when I watched the movie "Where the Heart Is". I was at someone's house with a bunch of other girl friends and we all decided on that movie. I really enjoyed the movie. It was cute and heart-warming. Somewhere in the middle of the movie a friend informed me that there was a book. Me being the book-worm I am set out to buy it. Eventually I did. Today just before Philosophy class, with minutes to spare, I finished this beautiful story.

Novalee is a 17 year old girl, seven months pregnant, on on the road to California with the baby's father, Willy Jack. Novalee has an extreme fear of the number 7 because for her it's nothing but bad luck. Willy Jack leaves leaves her stranded somewhere in Oklahoma at a Wal-Mart where she lives until her baby is born. The novel follows her life as she meets interesting people, old Sister Husband, the Indian Benny Goodluck, the black photograghper Moses Whitecotton, a hispital aide Lexie, and the wacky librarian Forney Hull; these characters along with a handful of others teach Novalee the most important lesson there is to learn yet.

I would be lying to you if I said this was not a love story. Because in a way, it is. It is a story about a girl who is down on her luck and the people in the life she makes in Oklahoma continue to love on her, and her baby, something she was not completely used to. So yes, it is a love story in that way, and in another way.

Novalee Nation is an interesting girl. If I were to describe her I would say she is very sweet and hard-working, and just a simple girl trying to make a good life for her and her baby. She wants nothing more than a "home without wheels".

I suppose in my own way I can relate to this girl, this "Novalee Nation". No, my boyfriend did not leave me 7 months pregnant at a Wal-mart in the middle of no where. I can relate to this protagonist just by her virtues. Novalee didn't have much growing up, but after her baby was born she worked hard to keep a good life, doing everything for her baby.

I can relate to her in that way because in her honest hard-work I see myself, trying to do the best I can for family with the encouragement of electic friends along the way who love on me more than I can really love myself sometimes.

It's a beautiful story and I highly recommend it. =]

"The Morning Gift" by Eva Ibbotson. A Book review.

I love books that take place in a different time period. Well, futuristic books, not so much, but books that take place in a time that was much different from the one I live in. I always find those the most interesting, even under the circumstances of the character's world.

The Morning Gift is a story about Ruth Berger who is stuck in Vienna during the time Hitler and his Nazis storm into the country. Her family, being partially Jewish has fled to London for safety. However, the plan on her part had gone terribly wrong. Her entire family and her fiancee was able to leave Vienna safely, but she was left behind. While she thought there was no hope and a dull future of a concentration camp, her father's old student, British, Quin Sommerville pretty much comes to the rescue. They get married in order to get her out safely and plan on annulling the marriage as soon as they get to England. However, the divorce seems a bit more difficult than they both imagined it would be.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the imagery, as well as they way it was written. This book was written in the 1980's, but it still has a "old" feel to it. Not quite Jane Austen or Emily Bronte material, but old enough to be very different from the books today. This book for once doesn't involve vampires or werewolves or other mythical creatures like that! Yes!

I would recommend this book for anyone who likes historical fiction, imagery, and a little humor and romance. =]

Mood Swings

Sometimes I wish life was kinda like "High School Musical". I mean, imagine, how interesting would it be if we all just burst into song and dance. When the going gets tough..."we're all in this together"! When we start to fall in love with someone..."we're breaking free (soaring!), flying", and when we get distracted we "gotta get our heads in the game". Not to mention sweet dance numbers to go along with that! Oh what a life that would be.

So today...happy Easter! He is risen! How fitting that there should be earthquakes in my area on the day of His Resurrection. I think that's pretty sweet. Haha...at least no one got hurt, so it's a good thing!

Today was not a good day. Mmm...yeah. Ever have those moments where you don't realize what you're doing except that you know exactly what you're doing? Does that make sense? Well it does for me, because that happened to me. I knew what I was doing, but I managed to...remove myself from the situation. I was watching, I was feeling, I was doing. But I was a spectator. I wasn't myself. I don't understand. I don't understand how I lost myself.
I miss my dad.
I miss my family.
I miss family. Sure, my brother invited me to go to his in-laws house, and even Juliet invited me to her house so I had the opportunity not to be alone. But I declined both. I easily declined to Juliet because I know that deep in my heart they aren't my family, which is hard sometimes. Sometimes I forget that I am not related to them because they are so close to me. Heck, I get invited to their family gatherings more often than I am to my own family. I don't understand! So in the end it is entirely, completely, wholly, undeniably my fault. Even so...things have been different since Dad passed. I called my sister to see if they are doing anything for Easter and they said now, and I found out they decided to go to their mother's house. I didn't get the invite. My sisters who do plan things have moved to Oregon, and I tried to plan things with the siblings that are still here, but they never went though. Maybe because I have no power, or maybe because everyone lost heart. It saddens me. I miss when we all got together at someones house or at a restaurant. I miss being part of something big. I know this loneliness is not my fault. Or maybe it is. Perhaps it is indeed my fault that my family doesn't get together anymore. It just makes me sad. When I sit there by myself I begin to think about the family I hope to have. I hope to have enough friends, I hope that I have at least two kids, and I hope that my husband has family so my kids never have to feel the loneliness. I love close, big families. That feeling of security, of knowing that there is someone there.

But, it is all up to God. I don't get a say in it. Well, not really. O.o It would be a bad time for me to get involved with anyone now or in the near future. However, whoever I do end up getting serious with, he'll have to be the patient type. I'll be bringing a lot of baggage. It's inevitable. I realize that I am depressed. It comes and goes and goes for a really long time but then it comes back. I am not looking for a savior. I have one, He's the one that keeps the blunt of the pain away when the enemy takes over my mind. I don't even know if I'm looking for the familiar. I would love the familiar because he would already know me. He would ideally know me now so he isn't surprised by my emotions. However, I don't know. All I know is that my heart is in a weird mood at the moment. Envious, fearful, annoyed, protective, and every other emotion in between for someone. Something.

I never realized how much I enjoy the spring. The colors of wildflowers are so exquisite. Through my hate-filters I was never able to appreciate the beauty of the world as I thought I did. But now I see that it is perfect. Amazing. I think I'm in love with spring. =]

My emotioooonnnnns. Those babies need to die. Speaking of babies, I love them. They seriously make me smile. They are the greatest things ever. Especially their smiles.